a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automated development processor for an exposed dental X-ray-film so that the exposed dental X-ray film is developed.
b) Description of the Related Art
X-ray pictures are often used for the diagnosis and treatment of teeth. Such an X-ray picture is obtained by sealing a dental X-ray film in an X-ray-transmitting but light-tight pack, taking an X-ray picture of teeth with the packed film, taking the X-ray film out of the pack in a dark room or the like and then processing it for development.
Development processors for developing X-ray films include various types. For example, the automated development processor proposed in Japanese Patent Publication No. SHO 53-17058 or the like has a compact construction so that it can be easily installed even in a private dental clinic. According to this automated development processor, an X-ray film taken out of a pack is developed by mounting the X-ray film on a ring and then causing the ring to successively move through a plurality of tanks which are each filled with a processing solution.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the ring with the X-ray film mounted thereon, while FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken in the direction of arrows II--II of FIG. 1. In each of the drawings, there are shown the ring at letter R and a slot formed in an inner periphery of the ring R. The X-ray film which is designated at letter F is fitted in the slot G so that the X-ray film is mounted. This fitting can be readily carried out by making use of the flexibility of the X-ray film F.
The ring R is thrown into a tank and by an arm attached to a rotary shaft, is then conveyed in the tank. When the ring R reaches a predetermined location in the tank, the ring R is thrown into a next tank and is conveyed likewise by another arm in the next tank. By successively conveying the ring R through the tanks arranged adjacent to one another, the X-ray film F is processed for its development, for example, is developed and fixed, whereby an X-ray picture of teeth is obtained on the X-ray film eventually.
The above-described conventional automated development processor is constructed so that the ring R with the X-ray film F mounted thereon is transferred from one tank to a next-stage tank arranged in adjacent to the former tank. To smoothly perform this transfer without trouble, an arm which is brought into contact with the ring R to convey the ring is formed to present an aslant surface on a side of the next-stage tank. The X-ray film F is therefore conveyed in a tilted position during its conveyance through the tank, so that if the tank has been fabricated even with a slightly greater widthwise dimension in the course of the manufacture of the development processor, a substantial space is formed between an inner wall of the tank and the arm, thereby involving the potential problem that the ring R may drop onto the bottom wall of the tank. Once the ring R drops, it is impossible to directly recover the dropped X-ray film F from the bottom of the tank because the width of the tank is small. The automated development processor must be disassembled, thereby making the recovery work very cumbersome.
Further, individual arms are attached at angular intervals to different shafts in such a way that the arms can be rotated in different directions. This involves the problem of a complex structure and coupled with such a complex structure, significant labor and time are needed upon disassembly for the recovery of the dropped X-ray film F.